Gwinko
{{short description|Japanese actress and singer}}
{{Expand Japanese|topic=bio|GWINKO|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gwinko
| image =
| caption =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = ja
| birth_name = Gwinko Kanagushiku (金城 吟子)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|06|04}}
| birth_place = Okinawa, Japan
| alias = Ginko Mirai (美良樹 吟呼)
| occupation = Singer
| agent =
| height =
| spouse =
| children =
| website =
| signature =
| module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes
| background = solo_singer
| instrument = Vocals
| genre = {{hlist|J-pop|dance-pop|R&B|funk}}
| years_active = {{ubl|
- 1987–1994
- 2020–present
}}
| label = CBS Sony
Media Remoras
| associated_acts = Kina & Gwinko Worldchamploo
| module2 = {{Infobox Chinese | child = yes
| kanji =
| romaji = Ginko
| hiragana = ぎんこ
| katakana = ギンコ
}}
}}
}}
Gwinko Kanagushiku ({{langx|ryu|金城 吟子|Kanagushiku Gwinko}}; born on June 4, 1973) is a Japanese singer who is currently a member of the duo Kina & Gwinko Worldchamploo.{{cite web |url=https://zaiko.io/event/337803 |title=Kina & Gwinko Worldchamploo |website=Zaiko |access-date=2022-02-08}}
Biography
Gwinko was born in Okinawa. She was one of the first batch of students from the Okinawa Actors School. In 1986, she passed an audition hosted by CBS Sony and moved to Tokyo, becoming Okinawa Actors School's first graduate. Gwinko released her debut album Yesterday Today Forever and single "Star Ship (I'm Going High)" in 1987. She became known for her style of singing R&B with digital sound in the foreground with slightly husky and relaxed vocals, as well as her dance choreography reminiscent of that of Janet Jackson.
In 1988, Gwinko participated at CBS Sony's 20th anniversary event "New Blood 88–89". Later that year, she performed at Epic/Sony's 10th anniversary concert "Dance to Christmas". In the summer of 1989, Gwinko participated in the live tour "New Bloods Presents Funk a Hips Live Show" as a member of New Bloods. In October of that year, she became the co-host of the music program Hit Studio R&N alongside Ichiro Furutachi. On the October 13 episode, Gwinko and Furutachi were witnesses to an incident when rock band The Timers played an unscheduled performance of a song protesting FM Tokyo censorship policies.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MA9OCwAAQBAJ&dq=The+Timers+FM+Tokyo&pg=PA78 |title=The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Protest Music After Fukushima |first=Noriko |last=Manabe |year=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-933469-8 |access-date=2022-02-08}}
In 1991, Gwinko released the single "Downtown Game", which was used as the opening theme of the anime series City Hunter '91. Shortly after the release of her album Tokyo Ukiuki Girl, she moved back to Okinawa. In 1994, Gwinko signed with Media Remoras and released her sixth album Princess Moon.
In 2020, Gwinko re-emerged from retirement and joined Shoukichi Kina to form Kina & Gwinko Worldchamploo.
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
!Information !Oricon weekly !Sales !RIAJ certification{{cite web |url=https://www.riaj.or.jp/f/data/cert/gd.html |title=ゴールドディスク認定 |publisher=Recording Industry Association of Japan |language=Japanese |access-date=2022-02-08}} |
|---|
| 1987
|Yesterday Today Forever |style="text-align:center;"|— |align="left"| |align="left"| |
| 1988
|Teenage Beat
|style="text-align:center;"|— |align="left"| |align="left"| |
| 1989
|Every Girl
|style="text-align:center;"|— |align="left"| |align="left"| |
| 1990
|I'm In
|style="text-align:center;"|— |align="left"| |align="left"| |
| 1991
|Tokyo Ukiuki Girl
|style="text-align:center;"|— |align="left"| |align="left"| |
| 1994
|Princess Moon
|style="text-align:center;"|— |align="left"| |align="left"| |
| colspan="5"| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. |
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Date ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Sales (JPN) ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | RIAJ ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album |
|---|
| style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|JPN Oricon |
| scope="row" align="left"|"Star Ship (I'm Going High)"
| September 2, 1987 | — | | | {{non-album single}} |
| scope="row" align="left"| "Gwinko's Christmas Carol (Sweet Heart Version)"
| November 21, 1987 | — | | | Yesterday Today Forever |
| scope="row" align="left"| "Get On"
| April 2, 1988 | — | | | Teenage Beat |
| scope="row" align="left"| "Us"
| January 21, 1990 | — | | | {{non-album single}} |
| scope="row" align="left"| "Yokubari na Weekend"
| August 1, 1990 | — | | | I'm In |
| scope="row" align="left"| "Downtown Game"
| April 25, 1991 | — | | | Tokyo Ukiuki Girl |
| scope="row" align="left"| "Bougainvillea wo Daite Waratte"
| July 21, 1994 | — | | | Princess Moon |
| colspan="6"| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. |
= Other recordings =
| class=wikitable
!Release date !Work !Song !Notes |
| September 29, 1994
|Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture |"Daisuki to iu uso o tsuita" |Anime TV special ending theme. |
Filmography
= TV =
- Hit Studio R&N (1989–1990)
= Film =
- Tanpenshū Step Out (1990)
- Heartbreaker: Dangan yori Ai wo Komete (1992)
Footnotes
{{reflist|group=fn}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{MusicBrainz artist|mbid=a5df4d9b-f5ec-4a9e-8e76-2d09d70f9047|name=Gwinko}}
- {{Discogs artist|1854920-Gwinko|Gwinko}}
- {{Anime News Network|people|19675|Gwinko}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gwinko}}
Category:Japanese women pop singers
Category:Singers from Okinawa Prefecture
Category:20th-century Japanese women singers
Category:20th-century Japanese singers